Hotel guests leading complaints — and compliments

February 20, 2014

J.D. Power and Associates, the market research firm, measures just about every product and service you can imagine, including the satisfaction levels of hotel guests and travelers.

So you can imagine that we pay especially close attention to the results of J.D. Power hotel guest surveys. It’s one of the guidelines that we measure ourselves against, and we’re happy to report that, by that measure, where performing very well — especially considering that overall hotel industry ratings have fallen to their lowest ranking since 2006.

J.D. Power surveyed more than 60,000 North American hotel guests and arrived at an industry rating of 757 points out of a possible 1,000. That is a 7 point drop from the previous year’s and includes what J.D. Power officials call steep drops in satisfaction in several categories, such as hotel facilities and services, guest rooms, check-in/check-out, food and beverage.

But chief among respondents complaints were:

Internet access. While internet access is free in coffee shops, restaurants and, increasingly, airports, hotel guests are indignant that many hotels continue to charge for wi-fi access. Those connections also tend to be slow and unreliable.

Noise. This is a worse problem than most hotel managers know because annoyed customers file noise complaints with hotel management only about half the time.

Add to those more general complaints about room cleanliness, unpleasant smells, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.

Fortunately, The Rose Hotel has avoided those complaints, by and large. But no need to take our word for it. Just pay a visit to the TripAdvisor website and take a look at the comments from our guests. Here are some examples:

We enjoyed the warm, friendly, caring staff, as well as the very nice breakfasts. The rooms are very spacious and clean, with a large shower and whirlpool tub.

Great ambiance and comfort.

Every little amenity is thought off from fresh baked cookies, bath salts, truffles at turn-down service, high-quality sheets, and even a set of rubber duckies when we brought our little one there (which we still have in our home bath!). The staff was always accommodating to our needs, which as a family with a little one, can be plenty and unpredictable.

The staff was amazing, so friendly and helpful. The room was beautiful with a bed to die for.

This is a great hotel, very charming and the service is excellent. Right in the middle of the charming little downtown of Pleasanton. Lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance.

We have yet to be disappointed by the hospitality, cleanliness and comfort offered therein. The decor is rich and inviting, complimented by the equally warm and friendly staff.

The rooms are enormous, quiet and tranquil, while the lobby and breakfast area is the perfect gathering place for my family to meet in the morning to plan our day.

The breakfast was fantastic, the best continental breakfast that I have ever had.

We should also mention that our internet service is complimentary.

The owners, management and staff of The Rose Hotel believe that we have created a culture that puts our guests first. We’re not perfect, but we are not bashful about saying that we are good at what we do. We work hard to please our guests and we think that our efforts are validated by the high percentage of repeat customers who come back to The Rose Hotel again and again for the luxury and the quality of our service. Beyond the high-quality customer service, we also work hard to become friends with our guests.

We seek a competitive advantage vis-à-vis our rival in two ways — the luxury of our rooms and common areas, and rigorous customer service.

But this is a continuous process of self-appraisal. We ask our guests to let us know how we are performing on a continuing basis. We would like to hear from you. We are always happy to hear from you by phone by calling us at 925-846-8802, or filling out our guest comment cards available at our front desk. Or, you can leave your comments on our page at TripAdvisor.com or other reputable travel websites.

Travelers’ tastes and sensibilities change. We understand that and work hard to remain attuned to that. That’s why it’s important to us to have a constant feedback loop from our guests.

Help make us better. Contact us by any of the above means to let us know what we’re doing right and wrong, and what new features or services that would make your stay with The Rose Hotel more pleasurable.

Thank you so much for your enduring support. We look forward to your next visit.